Department of Education
Dr. Tim Webb, Commissioner

H1N1 - Novel Flu Information for Tennessee Schools

The Tennessee Department of Health is the state's foremost resource for information related to swine flu. All information can be found at http://health.state.tn.us/swineflu.htm.

The Tennessee Department of Health continues to work with the Department of Education and other federal, state and local agencies to prepare to respond to the outbreak of a novel flu virus, commonly referred to as H1N1 flu.

The state of Tennessee prepares continually and has a thorough plan in place to respond to a potential threat to public health in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health has nationally-known medical experts who are trained to implement a state-level effort necessary to ensure health and well-being of Tennessee residents.

Children in child care facilities and schools easily share viral infections because of their close contact, inadequate hand hygiene, and because they may have higher quantities of virus in their respiratory secretions for a longer time than an adult.

The Department of Health’s Web site has detailed information on H1N1 virus. It will be updated regularly to provide any new information that may be useful to you. It is available here: http://health.state.tn.us/swineflu.htm General information from the CDC is available here: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu .

District and building-level emergency response plans, as required under TCA 49-6-801, should include a specific focus upon pandemic influenza concerns. Additional information, including new guidance documents, can be found at http://www.tennessee.gov/education/learningsupport/schsafetyctr/PandemicFluPreparedness1.shtml

In general, school staff should work closely with local public health officials as well as local government officials when making decisions regarding school dismissal, closings and reopening. If you have a school closing due to the N1H1 (Type A Swine) flu inform our office as soon as possible so that we may communicate this information to US DOE and CDC officials.